Students from across the region gathered at Kenilworth School last Wednesday (23 October 2024) to participate in the first inter-school debate tournament.

The event, organised by Kenilworth Multi Academy Trust, brought together six local schools for a lively and engaging competition in front of political party representatives and enthusiastic community members.

The event aimed to provide Key Stage 3 students with a unique opportunity to develop their critical thinking and public speaking skills in a high-pressure environment.

Schools that took part included Kenilworth School, Westwood Academy, Campion School, Myton School, Lawrence Sheriff School, and Bishop Ullathorne Catholic School.

Each school put forward a team of five students who faced off in a knockout-style competition, mirroring the structure of a football World Cup tournament.

The idea behind the inaugural KMAT Great Debate was a relatively simple one: give students from across a number of schools the opportunity to debate each other as part of a competition, with one student being crowned the overall winner.

The first KMAT Great Debate was held last week (image via KMAT)

Following the event Hayden Abbott, CEO of KMAT said: "The KMAT Great Debate was a remarkable and unforgettable event, enabling students from local schools to demonstrate outstanding leadership skills in public speaking.

"The event was the brainchild of Aaron Dudley, a Head of Year at Kenilworth School and Sixth Form who co-ordinated the event.

"Aaron's passion for providing opportunities for young people to take part in public speaking events over the last few years has enabled several students from Kenilworth School to go on to participate in local and national debating competitions. 

"It is wonderful to see how this opportunity has now been extended to a wider range of young people across schools to develop their debating skills. It was so nice to see the enthusiasm of the young people who worked so hard to support their fellow team members and to see other young people behind the scenes helping to coordinate and host the KMAT  debate. 

"It was a pleasure to witness the way in which all of the participants rose to the challenge of debating a range a interesting topics, demonstrating eloquent delivery of presentation, the art of persuasion and advocacy, respectful challenge of opposing views and appropriate use of technical language."

Students had to think on their feet as the debate topics were revealed fully on the day (image via KMAT)

A Platform for Young Voices

Local representatives from the Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat, and Green parties served as judges along with KMAT Trustees and other members of the community for the event.

The debate topics were revealed before the competition, but the students had to think on their feet as they had not been told which side of the debate they would be arguing.

This format ensured that each debate was intense, thought-provoking, and a true test of the students' quick thinking and articulation.

As rounds progressed, the competition intensified, with audiences seeing young debaters display a mix of passion, eloquence, and well-reasoned argument.

What should also be made clear is that the whole tournament was run by Kenilworth sixth form students who had given up their morning to be a part of this experience.

Year 10 students had also volunteered their own time too, showcasing the trust's outstanding student leadership skills for all to see.

Event organiser Aaron Dudley was praised and thanks for his efforts in organising the event (image via KMAT)

Recognising Talent

To say that the staff and judges were taken aback by the quality and ferocity of these discussions is an understatement.

In the rest breaks in between each debate, many judges were heard to quietly whisper in relief to one another that they did not have to take on some of the students!

Cllr Richard Hales of the Conservative Party said: "The standard of debate across all of the schools was outstanding, and it was great to see all the students interacting with each other and building friendships."

Echoing these ideas was Cllr Mark Stevens of the Green Party, who said he "thought the students were amazing and could no doubt hold their own in any debating forum. They were a credit to their schools".

Subjects discussed ranged from whether water was the most valuable resource or not, to the power of social media over young people. The final debate focused on whether species that are extinct should be brought back using modern technology, prompting many a Jurassic Park reference.

Hayden Abbott, CEO of KMAT said: 'It was a pleasure to witness the way in which all of the participants rose to the challenge' (image via KMAT)

Liberal Democrat councillor Richard Dickson added: "The creativity of the points expressed in the debates, and the controlled passion with which views were expressed by the students, shows how engaged young people are in the big questions that their generation faces."

Westwood Academy walked away with the winning school trophy, as well as providing the student who finished first in the individual competition.

Lawrence Sheriff came second in the school event, and fittingly provided the second-place student too. Honourable mentions go to Bishop Ullathorne and Myton for their third-place students, whilst students from Kenilworth School and Campion walked away with individual accolades for those students who impressed the judges in the earlier stages of the competition.

Establishing a Tradition

The success of this event has set a strong precedent, with organisers announcing the tournament will now become an annual fixture in the region's academic calendar.

"We hope to see this debate tournament grow in the coming years," stated Mr Dudley.

"It's a fantastic opportunity for students to engage with important issues and develop their confidence and public speaking abilities."

The event brought together seven local schools (image via KMAT)

Several parents and teachers expressed their pride in seeing the region's youth show such a commitment to understanding different perspectives and defending their views.

Mr Griffin of Myton School commented: "It was great to see so many enthusiastic and engaged children participating in the event and developing skills that will serve them throughout their lives."

Whilst Mr Griffiths of Bishop Ullathorne said: "The inclusive nature of the event meant that students of varying levels of experience and confidence could all make a tangible contribution."

With this successful first event, Kenilworth Multi Academy Trust has "set the stage for an annual tradition that promises to enrich the academic and civic lives of students for years to come".